MEMORIES this week of a junction and bridge that has seen its fair share of drama over the years.

Hanging Bridge, at Mayfield, was plagued by crashes, often involving lorries with poor brakes that failed while travelling down hill from Swinscoe and, in 1937, a major project to alter the bridge and the road running over it was carried out.

These pictures were lent to us by Judith Walwyn, who found the images among possessions owned by her uncle, Gerald Wibberley, a former Urban District Councillor who passed away 30 years ago.

The story of the reconstruction of Hanging Bridge and the many accidents that led to its alterations is also documented in a book by Mayfield Heritage Group, Memories of Mayfield, which is available in Ashbourne Library.

According to the book the cranes, which ran on metal tracks, were operated by the Baker Brothers, who were recruited by the Potteries-based firm that carried out the work.

Jack Baker apparently married and took up residence in the village on completion of the project.

Although the bridge is now a much more modern structure, the original arches can still be seen over the River Dove, which runs beneath.

The alteration of the bridge did lead to improvements in safety at the busy junction but even in this day and age road accidents are unfotunately a fairly common sight.

Do you have similar images? Memory Lane pictures are always welcome and can be scanned and handed straight back to you.